Tonight is the New Moon in the constellation of Cancer. This water sign is associated with the Moon, which reflects our emotions, and our relationship with our home/environment; and holds the archetype of the Mother. Harnessing the symbolic and energetic support of this astral cycle, we are able to raise our level of self-awareness and wellbeing with respect to this integral aspects of Self.

So much of our self-understanding, the way we treat ourselves and the way we react to others, is wrapped up in our experience to our mother, which creates our understanding of “The Mother”. The implications of that relationship, and the way we internalize it, is so central to our self-concept, that it often goes underestimated and unexamined.

Superficially, we may be aware of the issues we have with our mother or the way she modeled relating to ourselves and creating a home. Yet, are we wise to how much we have internalized this primary relationship and how it lives in us today? Are we truly aware of how much our mother informs an archetypal concept that influences how we tend to our emotional and psychical needs and the people in our lives?

The Mother reflects the original understanding we have for what it means to attune to and care for our emotional and psychical needs. If left unexamined, most of us will remain in a state of unconscious reaction and act out of subtle (and not so subtle) patterns that are less than what we desire to offer ourselves and others.

On this New Moon, I invite you to set an intention to raise your awareness of how you relate to the attributes and characteristics reflected in this watery sign associated with the Moon and the Mother archetype.

As the moon begins to wax, set aside time to shine its soft light inside, to illuminate how your relationship with the Mother is reflected in the way you relate to yourself and others.

Set aside a few minutes each day to explore the question(s) that hold the most charge; which may take the form of subtle reluctance or avoidance. Return to the same question at different times throughout the days as you will find you relate to them differently, depending on what is happening in the moment.

Do I create space to feel/express my feelings?

How do I respond to myself/others when they express strong feelings/emotions?

Can I offer support and reflect an understanding of emotion without having to “do” something or try and fix it?

Where am I holding resentment or judgement about how my mother responded to my emotional needs?

What did I long for from my mother or primary caregiver that I did not get; have I processed the grief I feel for having been denied this expression of love; do I give it to myself?

What kind of home have I created?

What would it look like and feel like to be a “good mother” to myself and to those who look to me for care and nurturance?

The first stage in any process of healing and growth is to dive into the dark of the unknown/unexamined (subconscious) areas of ourselves from which so much of our emotions, thoughts, words, actions reside.

This is why we begin this inquiry in the dark of the moon and will proceed through to articulate our insights in the light of the Full Moon and integrate it as the moon wanes.